Happy Christmas, etc.

It's been a while since I was here- life is tough when it begins to get cold outside. But !  It hasn't been cold outside. So- what's my excuse?  I guess I don't have one - so that will have to do.

Christmas here was quiet - just my husband n' I for gift openings and dinner. It was most certainly pleasant though.

Our annual barn Christmas party was great fun- tons of fun 'like' people, tons of food and tons of gifts too.  A few folks couldn't attend due to their having other things to get accomplished that evening, but we still had a house full.

 Below is our farm "mascot"- in her new Christmas dress.... she was posing to have her picture taken.

The weather has been rotten for December - rain and when it isn't raining, it's heavily clouded over. The ground is so saturated that now, the water just lays on top and isn't sinking in. The past week found us in high humidty and WARM! Temperatures in the mid to upper 60's and even higher on some days. Humidity percentages in the high 80-100% - which is terrible to try to work in. Nothing dries out and even inside the house, it felt damp. I hear that this sort of thing is going to continue til 'next year'. The pastures are nothing but sloppy mud- and each day it gets worse. (ugh) I bet once it becomes January, we'll get some whopper snows and freezing temps. 

< sigh>  Sure wish Mother Nature would make up her mind for this year. Perhaps she already has and we will fry this coming summer. Stay tuned!

Toby, my little American Draft pony colt is now a gelding. He got gelded on the 19th of December and has come thru it all very nicely. He's still a pest with wanting to nip and pull on shirts/ jeans or shoe laces .

We have a new "barn cat"- a kitten actually- and he's something to see. He's a 'tuxedo' marked fella and is named "Felix'' (my hubby's choice.) He's just gotten big enough to be in the barn and outside so long as a human is around. He Loves It ! Soooooo many new smells and wide open spaces- and oh, those funny looking things with feathers. What grand fun. Here he is when he was MUCH smaller- now, he's sleek and shiny and much taller.

We are looking forward to this upcoming year. Possible shows, a LOT of riding ( and driving for me) and more.

I hope your holiday season has been and will continue to be grand!

Happy New Year from all of us !!!

"People"

10/7/15

When I moved to this farm, I thought of beginning a 'working student' program. I wasn't making enough money to support anything and well, just didn't act on it. Being brand new to this area, I had way to many other things to worry about.

Later on, after things (and us) got settled in, I thought of it again. It never got acted on...  One year, I placed an ad on the local Craig's List and see what it brings.

I got many responses from folks wanting to learn to ride, learn how to handle horses and many other things. There were kids around 10 who wanted to come to learn, and older folks wanting to get back into riding.

One by one, the Working Students got weeded out. Some arrived in skin tight jeans, face full of makeup (well- we All know how long makeup lasts in a horse barn) and skinny little tops. Some didn't want to do the 'grunt' work that we all need to know and understand. Some thought washing water buckets was gross.... and so it went. One by one, and two by two came and subsequently left. They just were not serious enough for me to bother teaching and explaining.

Of course, by now, I'm getting older and a lot more achy- and yes, grumpier. There was much less patience for what I called the "stand around" students. They arrived, got tired of actually having to work hard- and then not coddled when riding. Very quickly I would assess whether they were really into horses or not. Those who stuck in there learned a LOT of things they'd never learn merely taking lessons some where.  Those people learned to speak to a horse who didn't know English, how to be patient and kind no matter if one's horse was in the process of being so nasty. They learned how to deal with fractious animals, horses in pain, and the heartbreak of losing a dear friend.

So I began limiting ages... one had to be 16 and have a car. One had to have horses galloping around inside their hearts to remain here as a Working Student. Lots of fun and laughter went into learning about horses and working around them. The older people were much more dedicated, having gotten that nonsense out when younger. Some younger people were "old souls"- and they stayed. Being flexible with people going to school or to work helped.

Those who have made it thru are becoming educated horse people- not "just" horse lovers. It makes me smile at how supportive these few people are! The barn isn't just somewhere one's favorite horse is- but a family also. Today, there are paying students here, a wonderful bunch of gals who come to help out, and yes, to learn as working students. By the time some of them actually are lucky enough to own their own equine, they'll be prepared for most anything.

We are laid back and enjoy joking around- but when it comes to someone dealing with a tragedy, we are all there for them. We have a few clinics a year, and I try to make them interesting. There are some days that it'd be so wonderful to be able to 'sleep in' past 7:30 and lately ?  I can- thanks to these wonderful women who come to help and learn.

In closing, I love them all dearly, and appreciate ever so much their help, happiness, and being dedicated enough to put up with me

So, here's to our crew!  Julia, Kristen, Jessica, Pat, Amanda and those students who come weekly, to those who board here, and lease horses.....

 Thank you.

Good Bye, sweet Abby.

9.18.15

It is with a heavy heart I write this.... Last month, my dear mare, Wolf River Fashion, died. August 16th, 2015.  I have no clue HOW she did it but she got tangled and down in a fence in her pasture. She'd been living in that pasture on and off for 12 years and knew where all of the fences/ boundaries were.

It all began about 8 PM on that Sunday evening. My neighbor called to let me know that one of the horses was down and caught in a fence. Glenn & I rushed up to find it was Abby. She was down with her front legs bent at the knees and totally underneath. Her back legs were under her body as well. It was as though she had just 'dropped'. No legs were tangled but she couldn't get up or free. Glenn and our neighbor cut the fence and Abby was free. Still she didn't get up, but she did try. Glenn was pulling on a lead ( I had rushed to the barn to get a halter and to call the gal that had been making payments to buy her) trying to help Abby get re- balanced so to have a front leg to use in getting up... She did get away from the fence, rolled over, and I dashed to the barn again to call the veterinarian. Letting her rest was what we were doing- then ask Abby to get up.

As I came back up the hill, and walked over to where Abby was, I was asking how she was doing.  Glenn looked at me and said "I think she just died".  I lost it- double checked to be sure my mare surely was not breathing,and still couldn't believe it.

So she is gone... Some days I forget she's buried up on the hill with the others and expect to hear her rattling her feed tub for a snack. The gal who loved her so was devastated, and got to the barn as fast as she could. We both cried- along with everyone else.

Abby is buried up on the hill, beside Evie. It is still hard to believe, but it is so. I hope we all heal from this enough to soon put the memories in a small part of our hearts to never forget her.

Rest in Peace, dear Abby...

"Wolf River Fashion"

 2002 - 2015

IT'S HERE!!!!!

Yes, it most certainly IS- our smaller horse trailer is HERE !!! < happy Dance> It was in Linglestown, at the dealers and needed to have things added STILL. But now ?  It is here.  Let the show training begin- we're all set.

It seems I am WaY behind !

7.18.15

Yep- I sure am- Way behind on this blog and news from the farm. Let's seeeee.... what's been going on since June.

I lost some more hens, and the worst loss was Rooster Cogburn (RC to his pals). He died and we found him in the chicken coop that morning. I don't know if it was the intense heat/ humidity, or stress from almost being fox dinner, or what. The end result was I had to bury my favorite rooster. Yes, he was a PITA towards people but it was ''his job" to protect his flock. I miss him. I miss him crowing most of the day, seeing him strut around, and him looking at himself in the tack room windows.

It turned out that I was able to buy another Lavender roo- he's just 14 weeks old and is gorgeous. I named him Pete " Pick up Pete". Then we now have two more young ladies who are Speckled Sussex and two "Silkies" in pure white. Pete and the girls are in a stall together and are good pals. The peeps that a friend had hatched out for me (Thank you Kristen!!) hatched and there are 3 of them They are Mottled Bantam Cochins and are Adorable. They are living in the tack room in one of those long plastic tubs that have been adapted for chicks. They've been growing in feathers and I *think* we have two pullets and one little bitty rooster. I HOPE that we are correct in our guesses.

Some good news, however! I started a working student program about7-8 years ago and it's doing really well. About a week ago, I got a call from a gal who wanted to come out and do an interview. I said alright but it didn't really sink in as to WHO that gal was. Turns out, she was a reporter with a local TV newsgroup. Well, I was floored when I realized WE were going to be on television.

  She arrived, interviewed me and one of the working students, took some video of some of the horses, and farm, and we had a good time. About a week later, she emailed me and told me when our "bit" was going to air- and here's the result!!

http://abc27.com/2015/07/16/woodfinn-farm/  ( might have to cut/paste the link)

Briana is looking great- I have yet to hitch her because, well, I haven't got a good excuse. I want to but need some more help than just me. Leah, our ASB ( American Saddlebred) mare has really blossomed! She is 75% stronger than when she first came here, she's Happy as well. I love to see her leaping and bucking and playing simply because she feels better. It is gratifying to me.

With all of the new chickens, I realized I needed another small coop to add to the one already here. I asked and searched classifieds when I found the Perfect size- and it was reasonably priced too. Yesterday, Glenn & I drove to Maryland to pick it up. Oddly enough it was a short distance from where I grew up, so I knew almost exactly where it was.  All went fine until we were an hour from the farm. We were speeding along up the 4 lane highway when we felt a small bump as though we had run over something in the road. Then a couple of seconds later a bigger thump and Glenn said "Crap, we lost it!!!"  Danged tie down strap had snapped, and my pretty little brand new coop flipped out over the tail gate, crashing to the pavement. ( I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad no one hit it, and it didn't hit anything but road. Wow)  Luckily for us, two cars pulled over to help out. I don't know what their names were but boy oh boy, they were SO welcomed. We got it all loaded up, and my pretty little coop was in shambles. There's some serious work to be done to fix it back to perfect again. Whew- again, a little coop can be replaced, but an injured human can not. We got home with no more troubles, and all in all ( aside from having to load the coop TWICE) it was a nice day. We had a good time, basically ; and it was fun to spend the day with my husband.

We are working on getting set to show a couple of horses in late September! Shonee & Rusty ( our other rescue) are the ones I'm thinking of using. I have already warned the three gals who want to show that they MUST do the "homework" and be ready... Or they won't be showing.  So the riding has begun. Stay tuned on how this turns out. Below is a short video of one of the gals riding Shonee. Those two are relatively new to each other. The second ride went Much better.

Still no trailer!!  It has gotten as far as the dealers lot in a near by town, but it needed so much extra work needed, we left it there until it is Finished!  I will never again say much of anything good about the service from Titan Trailers! Their product is great- but to wait More than a year for one to be made, when one is told  " 12 weeks" ?  Ha- nope.

Depressing Day

6.3.15

What a sad week it's been so far and it is just Wednesday.
Firstly, we have had some hen eggs in the incubator & were trying to hatch out some lavender Orpington peeps. Oh, I kept the temperature correct, as well as the humidity- turned those 10 eggs carefully 2-3 times a day and waited.  And waited.....  And Waited.  Finally, day 21 happened. No hatchlings. We are now over day 21 and are on day 24. Still not a sign of anything but brown eggs w/ Xs & O's on them.  So this evening, I will most likely throw the eggs away, and chalk it up to being a bad "mama'' to those eggs. <sigh>

Earlier this week, a good friend of mine was anxiously waiting to go to her doctor to find out whether her baby to be was a girl or a little boy. She was 17 weeks, I believe. Turns out there was no heartbeat-the baby had died for some unknown reason. All of us here at WoodFinn are so sad for her & her family. There's nothing anyone could say to make it better... So they are now forced to deal with emotions and heartbreaking knowledge. I hope they both can get thru this and become even stronger as time passes.

This morning ,our farm's vet came out to float a gelding's teeth, give him his vaccines, and do a sheath cleaning. Rusty was a very good boy with it all. He got a clean bill of health and is now happily eating grass outside. Soon, we'll let him be outside with Leah and hope they become good friends.

< sigh>  Then I had her do a pregnancy check on Briana, our new American Draft pony mare. She'd been bred before she came to our farm and everyone was looking forward to a foal next year.  Well, it turns out Briana did not "settle"- get pregnant. I wanted to cry, I felt so bad.....   No foal for us next spring.

So, we have no peeps, no foal, and feel terrible for our friend who is not pregnant any longer as well.

I guess this is how life goes sometimes......
  hope Something good happens around here.

Below is a photo of Rusty the first day he'd arrived... He got an upper respiratory infection and was quarantined for a month to make Sure no one else got sick- and now, Everyone is healthy & content.

Two Newbies

4.20.15
Things have been poppin' around here!
First Spring has happened on our farm. Things are getting green, daffodils have bloomed and the Forsythia too. The grass is trying to grow also- life is blooming all over.

Now onto the "Newbies"... I was contacted by a gal who had an American Draft filly that she needed to sell. Her husband had told her - Three ONLY. So this little mare & another needed to find good homes. I had been " Considering" letting someone else own Cherry. ( whom I adored but didn't feel like I could trust her100%)  We worked out a deal where we'd trade ponies. The really cool thing is that "my" pony was bred to another American Draft Pony! I had to wait a month or so to be Sure she didn't recycle into heat again- proving most likely she'd settled and was in foal... but it turned out fine. She has yet to come back into heat,and she was delivered here on April 16th. Cherry got a ride to the gal's farm and all is well.Here she is: '' WF Briana'' on her first day outside.

And THEN, there are some women doing wonderful things at the New Holland auction sale- they're buying horses that are slated to be shipped out of the country to be slaughtered.  Thank goodness, the buyers let them know if they see a horse that is a really nice one- TOO NICE to end up on someone's dinner plate in Europe.....

These gals go, get photos, and let folks know online as much as they know about each horse needing to be 'rescued'.  Now, as much as I love horses, I am against many so-called "rescues". Very few are legit and those that are not, take good meaning people's money in the name of saving a horses' life. I had known these gals for a few months, watching how they did online in finding these un-wanted horses homes.  They seemed to know what they were doing and were very fair towards others.

End result of all of this?  Meet Leah!  She is a 15 yr old American Saddlebred mare. She's been an Amish buggy horse for quite a while and has the fear/negative actions to prove it. She had a halter on that was Way to small and she has halter rubs, she is thin, needs a good hoof trim, and a bath but all of those will happen eventually. Right now, she needs to gain strength, and settle in- plus gain weight.

 As usual, God has seen fit to send me another 'far away' horse in Leah.  She is going to be great fun to get to know and I am sure we shall be good friends one of these days.

Introducing Maleah's Journey : ( Leah)

I hope both of these horses become splendid members of our barn and I Know they'll get all of the good care and love they can handle.

Be sure to check back and watch how they turn out as time passes.

Welcome Springtime!

4.3.15

Old Man Winter has been working hard to remain, but I *think* Spring might be winning. March was wicked bad with snow, threats of snow and Cold temperatures here. Wind ?  Oh, my- wind....  I think March was confused because she 'went out like a lion' instead of that ever popular "lamb".

So far, April has been nice. Some cold, some rain ( like today) and lots of sunshine. THAT feels so wonderful, after such a bitter cold winter.

Breeze (our little abused Hackney mare) has returned to the farm after spending some time w/ friends.  There are lots of kids and horse knowledgeable folks there- so Breeze got to learn that not ALL humans are going to hurt her- there are some who simply love her...

Last night, a student was  here- and we handled Breeze a little, to help her see that we all are kind here. Even Stephen, who is TALL and is a guy. We asked him to walk up to her, and let her see he wouldn't hurt/ scare her either. Breeze did really well and was so brave. Stephens' wife shared this photo with us- Abby & Steve talking over the fence.

The American draft ponies are being changed around it seems. As much as I try, I can not get past not being able to trust Cherry 100%.It would be a horrid thing if she blew up while in a show ring, hurting herself, or maybe others- or even Me. I won't take that chance... Used to be I'd ride or drive any equine and have no fear of being injured, but as I have gotten "older"- that is in my mind when climbing into a horse-powered vehicle now. So, the plan is, is that I am trading Cherry ( whom will be sorely missed !) with a gal in New York. She has an "almost" 4-year-old mare.  She is to be registered and I can name her! AND- the bestest part is that she was bred to the gals' black Am.Draft Pony Stallion!!!  We are all hoping that she 'settles' and is foal when she arrives here.

A little teeny black pony foal for us next February- so exciting.  Below is a photo we have of her in New York. She's shorter than Rose & Cherry but maybe will grow a little more? At any rate- she's trained to drive ( VERY green) and ride too (Very green!).

I think all of us at the barn are eager to meet this little one...and her baby.

Rose- the other draft pony- has been getting some work on a longe line ( right- I see no reason in the world to pay $$$$ for a "round pen" when all a horse of mine needs to learn can be done on a 30' line).  She is being much better than last Fall... still has her own grumpy opinions but at least she's not charging me! I plan to get her driving soon.

A boarder lost an old friend a few weeks ago... Her AQHA gelding had injured his back in the ring a week before and walked crooked. There was some damage to his pelvis/ spine. The thing that made it clear he was ready to 'move on' was that his left eye was becoming infected again- a possible tumor behind it had created an abscess which we cared for and got him past. But now, there was another forming. My friend & vet. discussed it and it was decided that her horse be put down. He's buried up on the hill near 'All The Best'. 

Other than that- the full sized Heavy horses are doing great, as are the other horses of WoodFinn. Lessons are picking up again which makes me happy. It is fun to see folks learning the RIGHT way to ride and treat a horse. 

The hens are laying like possessed poultry- and we have Lots of Fresh Eggs! This month, RC, Daisy n' Lilly will be put in a stall so we will hopefully get fertile eggs to hatch!  Will post pix, if we get some.

"Winter" Blech

Christmas was great fun - and then we slept through New Years' Eve to awaken to a brand new year . Ahhhhhhhhhhhh- a brand new year- where we can create more good things happening here, where we can 'start anew'- Right ?

Nope- Just the year's date has changed... Pretty much the same as 2014.....

January was cold- we got a little snow. Just small increments of it, thank goodness. Then it got COLD. We now had ice under the little snows. That makes walking upright a little tricky. So far the snow/ice is winning.

Then good ol' February arrives. Bitter cold days and nights- well lets say, more than bitter. Winds from various areas constantly blew, making wind chills in the minus temperatures.

Today, we hit a whopping 7 degrees with a big wind, taking the "feels like" right into the minus 4 area. Snow flurries as well. Very little sunshine- but when it IS shining, oh wow, it feels Wonderful. This weekend is going to be brutal; 'oh joy'.

Our hens have totally stopped laying- I don't blame them. Who wants to sit still when it is So cold, waiting to pop an egg out? RC is being rather docile except for the time he decided that a little 4 yr old was NOT allowed to slide down our manure pile, on snow. She wasn't very happy about that what so ever. Now, she's forever watching out for RC, and is pleased when he's in the chicken house.  Earlier this winter, some decided that perhaps it was wise to molt. Duhhh- we had the most horrid looking, featherless chickens for miles around. Luckily, they were all re-feathered by late November. Whew- I could just see them needing little crocheted chicken coats to keep warm. Speaking of those , a friend created one for us and I really need to fit it on one of the girls, and get some pictures!

The horses are coming thru winter really well. No one has been colicky or feeling badly at all. Thank God, they've been fine. Of course when it is this cold out, I hit high speed at keeping them all drinking and eating well. They have all been going out during the daytime as it's been to blasted cold at night. Makes more work for those who help out in the morning, but I know the horses appreciate coming in for dinner and remaining there till the next morning.

So, from now til April, I will be impatiently waiting for warmer days.... and sunshine.
My husbands' gelding is already shedding like crazy- let's hope he knows that it's going to be warm sooner than we think !!


Stay warm out there !

Merry Christmas !

12.24.14

On this Christmas Eve, I am reminded how blessed we are living here in 'Pennsyltuckie. ' Good friends, lots of help/working students,and super horses.
Not to mention a fabulous man who loves me in spite of all my shortcomings...

The rush is over,now for a quiet evening,
 and then Christmas will be here !

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Yule, or what ever holiday is important to you at this time of year !

Kris, Glenn, Sadie, all four kitties, the chickens And best of all- The Horses

'Almost Christmas' Memories- Or How Tommy Bennett Broke His Arm.

12.18.14

Ever since I moved to Pennsylvania, we have celebrated Christmas pretty much alone. Not that I mind it or anything, but it is SO different from when I was young. As I sit here, listening to Scottish Fiddle music- and some intermingled Christmas carols, I remember some great Christmas' past.

There were a lot of people in my family- and it seemed my mom was for everrrr bringing home "stray'' people. There were times when I'd wake up early for some reason as a teenager, to find someone sleeping on our sofa. Introductions were later after everyone had had breakfast... So the 'family' members were either larger or smaller, depending on my mother.

We were 'patches on our patches' poor- lived in the country and woods. The nearest neighbor might have been right down the lane, but to us?  At least miles away. Especially in an emergency situation. Like the time my elder sister was getting something to drink from the refrigerator and saw our woods was on fire. We were all freaking out- while she had the forethought to actually call the fire department. (Yay, Kath !)  Turned out it was a neighbors little house that was burned, thanks to a drunk dropping a cigarette while he was passed out. (Or perhaps the story we all heard Was true ?)

There were neighbors and all of us kids were pals. We would go camping in the woods, prowl around looking for freshly shed deer antlers, decorations for our houses for Christmas, and Lots of games played in "the field". This belonged to one neighbor and it was well known for many wonderful games of football, soccer ( yep- in knee high grass) or blind man's bluff.  I remember the time we were playing that and I was the "blind man". A fella who was just a year younger than I called to me, and I ran in his direction. KA-POW !  I ran smack dab into the ONLY electric pole in the area.  Man, that hurt.

One time in winter,( I am guessing we were all around 10-11 yrs old) we decided to go sledding on one neighbor's hill pasture. It was fenced in, but for a large, wide gate at the bottom. We spent a good hour or so stomping up n' down that long hill to make Sure the runs would be fast. If you timed it just right, you could go flying down that hill, then turn your sled to the right as you went through the gate. That way you would be on the snow covered gravel road and be able to sled almost to our house's lane.  Well then someone thought "why not make a snow ramp ". We had seen them on the Olympics- so why not here !?

We got busy building til it was time for dinner, and we all split up, promising to return the next morning to finish.

The next day, we all gathered at the 'ramp' and finished creating it. Little did we realize that it had frozen quite solid all night long, then the morning sun came out and melted it just enough to create ice when we added more snow.  We drew twigs to decide who would give it a go first. I don't really remember what order we went in, but soon it was Tommy's turn. He had waxed the sled runners that morning and knew that sled would Fly !

My pal, Peter, went flying down and made it onto the road for a little distance. My sled was old, so it didn't go quite as fast or far. It was Tommy's turn next. He lay down on his sled and pushed off with his hands.
Oh, he went so fast !!

He hit that now iced ramp/jump at a good 20 miles per hour, and went flying over it like Santa's deer could fly.  That's when we looked at each other, getting a wee bit concerned......

Tommy and his sled flew through the opened gate, hit the snow covered road way and kept on going- straight. He ended up in a big pile of old railroad ties, and with a very sore arm. He was howling, hopping in circles, holding his arm.

Yep- it was broken and we were not allowed to sled over that ramp "until springtime". Heck- it had all melted by then!

Another time, just before Christmas, my mom & I had a good time. I was freshly separated from the husband ( soon to be ex) and was spending my first Christmas alone. It was pretty depressing, but I decided to make it as nice as I could. One night there was a banging on the front door, and I hesitated to open it as it was close to 9PM. WHO would be there that late ??  It was my woodsy neighbor, Allie Puro.  Long story, short, Allie was a Finnish woman who had been severely abused as a child, raped by her father, and took many beatings. My mother and she had been neighbors as children...... Allie's mind didn't work real well after all of that- then add way too many beers to stop the memories...well, you can imagine.  She was basically harmless, but all of the kids had been a little scared of her when we were little.(me included)

So there she was, holding grocery bags and a beer.... I invited her in and we had a nice visit. She'd told me that she had seen my Christmas lights in the windows and wanted to tell me how nice they looked. I made us some Finnish coffee- knowing I'd be awake for the rest of the night- Allie needed it though.  After a bit of a visit,she got ready to leave and handed me a gift she had purchased for me. Totally surprised at this, I told her 'thank you, and Merry Christmas'. It was some hand made soaps that she remembered that my mom had loved , so she'd bought some for me.  After that, she walked off, following the path thru the woods to her small shed she called home.

I stopped at my parents' house the next day, asking my mom if she would like to take part in taking Allie Puro some Christmas joy. We went shopping and got Allie some warm boots,some gloves, a pretty BLUE wallet (she loved blue) and some decorations for a tree. I stopped at a Lion's Club tree sale to ask if they had any small trees about "this tall".  They didn't.... The next day, I got a call from that man at the tree sale stand and he told me to come back because he had found a small tree for me. I had told him what we had been planning. He had cut the top off a tall tree and had a gorgeous small tree for free. Eventually we had everything wrapped , had the tree, some Christmas cookies, and some fresh Pulla for Allie.

Off we went thru the woods. It was about a mile back behind my little house to Allie's place. She lived in one of those storage sheds- tin with no floor. She had a wood stove for heat, and she'd cut sapling trees down to create a porch of sorts. There she had an old canning jar with 'her Christmas tree' in it- a piece of holly.

We went to Allies' house, laughing and feeling grand at having such a surprise for her. She was home, had heard us, and met us outside her porch, big smiles.

We went inside, sat down and presented her with the little tree.... we then helped her decorate it with some shiny balls,tinsel, and some garland. It looked wonderful! We watched as she opened all of her gifts, ooooing and ahhhhing at each one. She was almost childlike in her enjoyment, saying that no one had Ever done anything so wonderful for her in all her days.

The next day, there was a message on my answering machine. The Mayor of the town asked me to stop in on my way home from work , that he had stuff for me. Not having a clue, I did, after I was done working. Seems "someone" had let him know what we had done, and he'd made some calls- and all of these bags were for our friend. Oh my !  Christmas cookies, a Warm coat, scarves, mittens, hats and some sweaters, pants and some hand knit woolen socks- so on Christmas day, my mom and I took our walk once more to Allie's house. Delivering it all to her was what made our Christmas perfect.....

Allie died later that year- and her Social worker had mentioned to my mom ( friends) that before she'd died she had been talking about her Christmas . Allie had told her that "it was the most wonderfullest Christmas"  Allie had Ever had.

With that, all of us here at WoodFinn wish you ALL a wonderful holiday season- may all of your wishes come true and may the upcoming new year be perfection .

Kris, Glenn, Sadie, Shadow, Paddy, all of the horses, the barn kitties, Kiisa and Moxie, and all of The feathered Girls who live in the hen house....

oh and let's not forget

 Rooster Cogburn !!

Barn Terminologies

10.30.14


Oh boy have we got them too !  Sometimes I think we should create a WoodFinn dictionary because there are so many being used.

This one Meghan brought with her:
   " Ligament"  ( Liniment)
  which isn't as you'd think but more like the brace one would rub on an equine leg to help it feel better after being ridden or driven.

then there's others like

"Prot"
which is a gait a Standardbred horse will use when confused going into sharper than normal corners. It's not quite a trot and gets to be this
lumpity -lumpity movement with a pacing movement involved.

"Going Theatrical:"
this is when a horse needs a good spanking but since we don't DO that here, we 'go theatrical'.  Involving arms wavin, big sounds coming out of our mouths, sometimes even slapping a wall with a lead rope- and Perhaps, ONE smack on a side or shoulder, if needed. Our horses all understand that when they are "bad", to expect their human to go theatrical on them.

"Thingie":
this could mean to get something for a saddle, harness or bridle..... This term happens mostly when I can't think of the proper name for a breeching strap, or bit converter, etc. It's kind of a universal word that could mean most anything - and one gal a long time ago coined it as " Kris Speak".  ( I hope she was being silly )

More to come !!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

11.27.14

I don't know about everyone, but I am so very thankful for how my life is now, compared to a decade ago. This quote has been a mantra of mine for some time now:

"Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more

 than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than

 forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.” ― William Arthur Ward


I have finally learned to truly count my blessings. Not being sure quite when this happened, but each day, I take a bit of time to say "thank you'' to whomever controls my destiny. Might it be 'me' or a God or Goddess, I don't know but I do take those few minutes daily.

So here's to a wonderful day for all, and if you are celebrating alone, please know that we are all there celebrating with you, even if in good thoughts !

from all of us at WoodFinn Farm

What happens in the barn, Stays in the barn

yeah- and here I am blabbing them to everyone. < grins>

There are a few that will not be mentioned here because it would way to embarrassing to the "owner".... but the rest- oh for sure.

One just recently was a fella who was working with his horse and came out of the tack room a few days ago.... It seems that he hadn't been Okayed by our rooster, RC. Well RC figured he was not supposed to be up there without one of his " humans" being there. He waited until the fella walked out of the tack room, or was standing in the doorway and Rooster Cogburn nailed him. Yep- almost in his crotch area ! NOT smart- and RC had no idea how close he came to being a nice chicken dinner that day.

The thing for RC is if he decides he's brave enough to take on a human is to grab any body part of his , pick his mean ol' self up, stuff him under an arm and carry him around for a bit. This tends to baffle that chicken so much, that he doesn't even struggle to get free. He rolls his neck along in rhythm with your walking strides just as though he's walking instead. Goofy bird.... Remember this photo ?

One day I was standing out near the divider between the parking lot and grassy area ( marked by an old electric pole on the ground), watching a gal longeing her draft mare....  It was almost time to begin feeding dinner at the barn and I'd been giving her some pointers. Things were going along real nicely when the mare was making her circles a little wider. I decided to step back- remembering I was close to that pole on the ground- when ka bam !  I hit the pavement . It is a long ways down when one is tall, yanno ? At any rate, everything ceased and everyone there scurried over to make sure I was alright. Well- it seemed that I was and my ego was hurt only.... duh. 

Note to myself Watchwhere you are backing, dummy head 

I have been known to do 'stupid human tricks' in the past so folks are now on the alert in case I take a dump to the ground some where. Oh well...

There will be more of these as I remember them, but that's a few to whet your reading appetite !

Saying Goodbye...

10.30.14

As you may or may not know, my ancient Appaloosa mare "All the Best" was getting more and more arthritic as the years passed by. This Fall, she could barely walk outside and I was having to consider letting her go. Being afraid that she might fall down on slippery winter ground or not being able to deal with the terrible winters Pennsylvania can occasionally dish out, I made the horrible choice that we horse folks have to make when owning Old (" friends") Horses.

On Thursday, October 16th, she left us peacefully and is buried up on the hill beside her bestest pal, Suzi. It was clear to me that we had made the right choice when we did because she progressively got more and more in pain as the colder weather moved in. Her life quality went downhill quickly and even though she was 'happy' I knew she hurt awfully bad. I will miss that dear old mare for the rest of my life- she had a big place in my heart in being so incredibly sweet and kind to everyone she met....

Sending peace to my mare who truly was
"All The Best."

Below is Alli at 31 yrs...

Chance(right) and Alli coming to meet me

this photo shows the love a horse can give- Shania was so small, and Alli was oh so gentle.

                                   Alli and Carlene 2006

A new green winter blanket!

''All The Best ''

 1983 --  2014

*******************************************************

September !

9.10.14

YAY- I have been waiting ALL summer to be able to type that !  This month leads into my most favorite time of the year. Autumn.

Not much going on here- but a lot of hot, sweaty folks getting horse chores done as soon as possible in order to go back to where it is air-conditioned. ( ME) School has started, which brought a lot of schedule changes for the working students here. We just about have them straightened out by now.

The horses started shedding their summer coats in mid July, and by now, some are growing their winter coats in.  Does this mean an early Fall and hard cold winter ?  I sure hope not. Acorns have been falling from the oaks along the road- which has led to some really happy squirrels gathering them up, burying them, only to forget just exactly where they had buried them when it's much colder.

We have had some real nice, lower humidity days intermixed with HOT and humid days, so Fall is trying to slowly arrive.

Cherry & Rose are coming along nicely- not much accomplished with hitching either of them, thanks to miserable biting flies outside. It's mighty hard to listen and concentrate when one is being bitten and pestered, so I put it all on the proverbial "back burner'' until , well, Now. So once this rainy day with storms moves out tomorrow, we Will get back to learning more. Stay tuned.

The two little peepies that were hatched here last spring, have Grown !! Oh my- Widgets' little peep is now tall than she is and has a name :  "Patricia". She was named by a fellow who had come for just one horse lesson. So Patricia it is. She's got some black feathers mixed in with all of her white ones, dark grey legs, and her face is darker than the White Plymouth Rock hen who laid the egg.  Hot Wheels' peep is a hen too- oh my, their voices are changing from 'peep, peep, peep', to  'peep,cluck, peep' ! They both sound so funny now. Apparently the egg that Hot Wheels sat on was laid by another of the White Plymouth Rock hens too as it has dark legs ( thanks to being half Lavender Orpington- RC) and white feathers with the black ones mixed in too.  She hasn't got a name - I was waiting to see if these chicks were little girls or little boys.  Both are very friendly and growing like mad. Guess being free range, fat farm hen agrees with them !

Below is Patricia and her mama, Widget. This was a month ago when they'd both chose to stay in the hen house with the other mature hens. Poor little Patricia got her neck pecked rather badly and I wasn't sure if those feathers would regrow or she'd have to wear a scarf during winter...

This is HotWheels ( the grey/black speckled one) and her no name daughter. Again- last month and they have grown Much taller. This one has a few black feathers on her as well.

Rain, rain and yet MORE rain

8.12.14

Holy smokes- we have had Lots of rain this summer ! In fact it is raining today, which is why I'm getting caught up on things. I really hope this doesn't equate to the amount of snow coming this winter. Pastures are green as can be, and I've been mowing weeds- plus Grass, thanks to all of it.

Been a bit of a bad / stressful month here at the farm..... Our little American Draft Pony, Rose, started it all with runny manure and a fever. Called in the vet who said it may well be just the beginnings of Potomac Horse Fever. ( spread by Mayflies of which there are millions this year) Luckily Rose eats anything put in front of her ( another reason she's a little "fluffy")and gobbled down her medicine with ease. It was a week before she began making cow floppy piles and another couple of days before she was back to her bothersome antics again. She's fine now- but then Lynn came down w/ the same symptoms. By then I knew what was going on and started her on the Doxycycline too. A few days of crampy fever and sloppy manure, and she was getting better too. All of the girls were on this for 10 days, with pain-killers/ anti inflammatories if needed. I'm so glad I have learned to keep copious notes & info in the past. Due to having three horses feeling bad, keeping track of temps, meds and more, I've got it all written down !

Last was my sweet Cherry.... she would Not touch her feed tub if it had anything But grain in it. Soooooooooo- she had a 'cocktail' in a dose syringe each evening. She too, is finally feeling better - temperature is down, she's eating ( yelling to me from her pasture to "HURRY UP !") and soon she too will be all done w/ treatment.  Whewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

The two peeps are growing like weeds. Widgets' peep is taller than she is by now. A young fellow wanted to name her, and her official name is "Patricia". I have no idea where he came up with that, but lets' hope Patricia IS a hen ! Reminds me of that song, " A Boy Named Sue'' ??  Hotwheels' peep is a lovely white w/ black/ grey feathers intermingled- very pretty. Again- not totally sure if it's a he or a she... stay tuned for baby's practicing a crow. *( ugh- don't want any roosters)

Other than rain, we've had a lot of lessons going on-  working students and paying students. Slowly getting winters hay stored up in the loft.... thank gosh this wonderful farmer contacted me about buying hay last year ! It is Gorgeous and makes the barn smell delicious. ( yes- only a horse woman enjoys that smell)

The working students and myself held a Horse Wash a couple of weeks ago. Almost all of the horses here got a much needed bath . We were all wet and filthy afterwards, but the horses were gorgeous.

We are planning an End of Summer Barn Bash soon. That should be great fun- pizzas', drinks, and a sleep over for those who want to stay. I imagine there will be folks in the hayloft, and all over the tack room floor, trying to sleep. I'm not going to be there- I'll be in my nice soft bed ! Getting to creaky for sleeping on floors any more.

Hope your summer has gone perfectly- ours sure has. (well, Other than sick equines of three).

Alex tries out the new foaming horse shampoo-er.

Abby had her turn also....

But she decided to shake her soapy mane at everyone !

Cherry was a princess , as usual.

the chickens were wondering if it was dinnertime, what with all of the people here

Rosie was so dirty, one could 'write' their name on her side.

the end results were Wonderful ! 

Below is Abby n' Meghan.

 Cherry has gorgeous dapples...

love this head shot of Cherry.

The greys are almost a bright silver:

Lynn

then BoJangles

 Lynn out in the ring...

last but not least, Rose !